HONEYBEE REMOVAL
Predator Impact can meet all of your honeybee MANAGEMENT needs.
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We can remove swarms, or balls of bees, that show up on your property, but our specialty is removing honeybee colonies that have taken up residence in a home or building.
Our PromisePredator Impact is committed to preserving and propagating honeybees. As such, we almost never agree to kill a colony. Not only is it a colony lost at a time when we need more bees, but the stench of a wall full of dead bees and honey is horrible. The homeowner almost always winds up cutting the colony out to get rid of the smell. Only in rare cases where the colony has not been there long, and there is a person, especially a child, with a life threatening allergy to bee stings will we consider killing a colony in situ.
trap outA "Trap Out" is a longer process where we seal up all the entrances to the hive but one. We then place a one-way door over that opening that lets the bees come out, but they cannot get back in. We then place a new hive as close as possible near the opening. When the bees cannot get back into their hive, they move into the new hive. This process is repeated 1-10 times depending on how large the colony is. Each hive removed becomes a new hive of bees in a world that needs more bees.
Once all the bees are out, and all the baby bees have hatched and come out (typically about 8 weeks) we remove the one-way door and replace it with a special screen that allows worker bees to enter the structure, but not a queen. This prevents a new swarm from taking up residence, but allows wild bees to enter the structure and carry out all of the honey. They will literally lick every square millimeter of the old colony to remove every drop of honey and carry it back to their hive. The entire process can take as much as 8 months, but when you are finished, there is some amount of clean beeswax in the wall, but no dead bees, no larvae, and no honey left in the wall. There is little or no repair cost once we complete the job. The cost typically runs from $250-$1,000, but that is the complete project cost. Distance from our offices is a major factor in the cost of a trap out. 
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RemovalThere are two options for removing honeybee colonies from a structure: One is cheap but slow, the other is faster but considerably more expensive.:
cut outA "Cut Out" is the classic way to remove honeybee colonies from a structure. We will carefully remove portions of the siding, wall board, or other structure to expose the colony. We will remove it carefully and with as little damage to the physical structure as possible in order to keep the repair cost as low as possible. We will physically remove the bees and honeycomb, and move as many bees as possible into new hives. We will wash out the cavity and leave as little sticky mess behind as possible. We will seal the opening with plastic sheeting as necessary to protect your home from the weather until you can contract a contractor to repair the structure. On rare occasions we only need to remove a small area and can put it back when we are finished, but this is seldom the case. The colony removal typically takes one day and our cost is typically from $500-$1,000. The most expensive part can be the remodeler's cost to repair the structure. Total cost can exceeds $1,500 in total but the structure is back to whole in just a few days.
"Mark gently over months saved millions of bees that made a hive in my brick wall. Unbelievable. I could not find anyone to help me for 3 years. Mark took the bees home and saved them. Great person and knows what he's doing." - Kim F. 
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is a “swarm?”
Once a year, typically in the spring, the queen of an existing colony lays eggs that will develop into new queens. Just before they hatch, the old queen will take approximately half the hive of worker bees and leave to establish a new colony.
This is normally a two stage process. They fly to a branch, eaves of a house or building, or any convenient place and then send scouts out to look for a permanent hive location. Once a suitable hollow tree or building wall is found, the queen takes the swarm to the new location and establishes a new hive.
Is there a cost to remove swarms?
We gladly remove swarms and there is no charge! The bees are relocated to a permanent home where they can do what bees do best!
Will my homeowner’s insurance pay for bee removal?
The answer is “sometimes”. Please check with your insurance agent to see if they will reimburse the cost of honeybee colony removal.
Can I keep the bees?
Yes. Each quote includes a $125 discount assuming we will take the bees with us. If you prefer to keep them yourself, we encourage you to do so. It will increase your bill by $125 per hive left with you, but beekeeping is a fascinating and rewarding hobby.
How many bees are in my wall?
Depending on the time of year and how long the colony has been there, there could be as few as a couple of thousand bees. Older colonies quickly run into the millions of bees.
Will the bees cause damage to walls?
Unlike termites, or some other insects, bees do not modify their environment. They look for hollow spaces that they can fill with honeycomb, but they do not chew the wood or otherwise modify the space. Some colonies, especially older ones begin to leak honey that can stain walls and attract ants.
How did the bees get into my wall?
Bees can enter through any crack or gap that is at least 3/16” wide and leads to a hollow cavity. Cracks in foundations and gaps where siding meets brick are some favorite access points. They will use larger gaps, but will partially close them up with propolis (or bee glue).
Will they come back?
The colony that we remove will be permanently relocated. They will have a new home in our bee yard many miles away. However, the same features that made your home or building attractive to this swarm are likely to be attractive to another swarm the next year. We will seal up the opening that the colony used when we leave and any other obvious openings in the immediate area. We do recommend that you look over your home carefully or hire a contractor to do so, and seal up any cracks or openings that are big enough to allow a new swarm to move in.
Can I just spray them with insecticide?
Over many years, we have only killed two colonies and both were in a home where a child with life threatening allergies lived and was at risk. Not only does killing the colony reduce the number of bees in the world, the smell of thousands of dead bees and souring honey is horrible. Invariably, the homeowner that kills a colony in situ will pay more to have the stinking mess removed, than they would have to have the colony relocated.
Will they hurt my kids, pets, etc. while being extracted?
With the rare exception of Africanized bees, honeybees are peaceful, industrious creatures. They are very busy gathering nectar, cleaning the hive, and other activities that preoccupy their short lives. They only sting to defend their hive. Remember, they die if they sting you. They only sacrifice themselves if they are convinced that you are a threat to the hive.
If the entrance to the hive is low enough to be a risk to children or pets, we will place barrier tape around the area to keep curious kids out.
As long as they don’t accidently bump the hive, or otherwise make the bees feel threatened, they will be fine.
How do I know if I have “Killer Bees”?
African bees were imported into South America and accidentally released back in the 1950s. The African bees produce much more honey than regular bees, but they are also more aggressive about protecting their hive.
Each sting is no different from normal bees, they are just more likely to sting.
The very first offspring of the African bees and native bees were only 50% African. With each generation, the African genes are diluting more and more as the bees spread northward. Today, in most areas, it is hard to tell the “Killer Bees” from the normal bees. The aggressive African genes are diluting quickly.
If we determine that your bees are particularly aggressive, we may recommend a course of action specific for your situation and the location of the hive, but this is very seldom a problem.
Bees with dilute African genes have been found in some parts of Texas and Oklahoma. They cannot survive desert or cold conditions. It is unlikely that they will spread much further north than Oklahoma.
Here is a map from the Discovery Channel showing where there have been confirmed sightings of Africanized bees:
Once a year, typically in the spring, the queen of an existing colony lays eggs that will develop into new queens. Just before they hatch, the old queen will take approximately half the hive of worker bees and leave to establish a new colony.
This is normally a two stage process. They fly to a branch, eaves of a house or building, or any convenient place and then send scouts out to look for a permanent hive location. Once a suitable hollow tree or building wall is found, the queen takes the swarm to the new location and establishes a new hive.
Is there a cost to remove swarms?
We gladly remove swarms and there is no charge! The bees are relocated to a permanent home where they can do what bees do best!
Will my homeowner’s insurance pay for bee removal?
The answer is “sometimes”. Please check with your insurance agent to see if they will reimburse the cost of honeybee colony removal.
Can I keep the bees?
Yes. Each quote includes a $125 discount assuming we will take the bees with us. If you prefer to keep them yourself, we encourage you to do so. It will increase your bill by $125 per hive left with you, but beekeeping is a fascinating and rewarding hobby.
How many bees are in my wall?
Depending on the time of year and how long the colony has been there, there could be as few as a couple of thousand bees. Older colonies quickly run into the millions of bees.
Will the bees cause damage to walls?
Unlike termites, or some other insects, bees do not modify their environment. They look for hollow spaces that they can fill with honeycomb, but they do not chew the wood or otherwise modify the space. Some colonies, especially older ones begin to leak honey that can stain walls and attract ants.
How did the bees get into my wall?
Bees can enter through any crack or gap that is at least 3/16” wide and leads to a hollow cavity. Cracks in foundations and gaps where siding meets brick are some favorite access points. They will use larger gaps, but will partially close them up with propolis (or bee glue).
Will they come back?
The colony that we remove will be permanently relocated. They will have a new home in our bee yard many miles away. However, the same features that made your home or building attractive to this swarm are likely to be attractive to another swarm the next year. We will seal up the opening that the colony used when we leave and any other obvious openings in the immediate area. We do recommend that you look over your home carefully or hire a contractor to do so, and seal up any cracks or openings that are big enough to allow a new swarm to move in.
Can I just spray them with insecticide?
Over many years, we have only killed two colonies and both were in a home where a child with life threatening allergies lived and was at risk. Not only does killing the colony reduce the number of bees in the world, the smell of thousands of dead bees and souring honey is horrible. Invariably, the homeowner that kills a colony in situ will pay more to have the stinking mess removed, than they would have to have the colony relocated.
Will they hurt my kids, pets, etc. while being extracted?
With the rare exception of Africanized bees, honeybees are peaceful, industrious creatures. They are very busy gathering nectar, cleaning the hive, and other activities that preoccupy their short lives. They only sting to defend their hive. Remember, they die if they sting you. They only sacrifice themselves if they are convinced that you are a threat to the hive.
If the entrance to the hive is low enough to be a risk to children or pets, we will place barrier tape around the area to keep curious kids out.
As long as they don’t accidently bump the hive, or otherwise make the bees feel threatened, they will be fine.
How do I know if I have “Killer Bees”?
African bees were imported into South America and accidentally released back in the 1950s. The African bees produce much more honey than regular bees, but they are also more aggressive about protecting their hive.
Each sting is no different from normal bees, they are just more likely to sting.
The very first offspring of the African bees and native bees were only 50% African. With each generation, the African genes are diluting more and more as the bees spread northward. Today, in most areas, it is hard to tell the “Killer Bees” from the normal bees. The aggressive African genes are diluting quickly.
If we determine that your bees are particularly aggressive, we may recommend a course of action specific for your situation and the location of the hive, but this is very seldom a problem.
Bees with dilute African genes have been found in some parts of Texas and Oklahoma. They cannot survive desert or cold conditions. It is unlikely that they will spread much further north than Oklahoma.
Here is a map from the Discovery Channel showing where there have been confirmed sightings of Africanized bees:
If we suspect that your bees are significantly Africanized, we may contact your state entomologist to help with the removal. This doesn’t add any cost or difficulty.
Is Predator Impact licensed and insured?
While no state or federal license is required to remove honeybees, Predator Impact only sends highly trained technicians, and we maintain proper liability insurance.
Can the honey be salvaged?
With a Trap Out, the wild bees remove all of the honey from the wall. With a Cut Out, we transfer as much of the honey into the new hives as possible. Any dirty or contaminated honey will be place in our bee yard for our bees to clean up and store in their hives.
In many cases, there are sections of honey comb that can be salvaged and we will be happy to remove some for you to enjoy.
Is Predator Impact licensed and insured?
While no state or federal license is required to remove honeybees, Predator Impact only sends highly trained technicians, and we maintain proper liability insurance.
Can the honey be salvaged?
With a Trap Out, the wild bees remove all of the honey from the wall. With a Cut Out, we transfer as much of the honey into the new hives as possible. Any dirty or contaminated honey will be place in our bee yard for our bees to clean up and store in their hives.
In many cases, there are sections of honey comb that can be salvaged and we will be happy to remove some for you to enjoy.
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